I'm considering RtO Umpf Club Drums - how do you use it?

[antic604]

So because I'm getting Complex-1 via Rent-to-Own (RtO) I thought I might as well get Umpf along with it, since I always thought it's cool... So how do you guys us it, other than as a replacement for simple ReDrum / Kong drum machine? I'm specifically interested in creative use of the on-board insert and send effects, the compressor, the mod matrix trickery, etc. Bonus points for linking your track that uses it with short description of what's happening. Thanks!

[MrFigg]

If you’ve got €49 to hand you’d really be better just buying it while it’s on sale. Maybe?

[PhillipOrdonez]

I can't live without my umpfs.

[MrFigg]

I can't live without my umpfs.

I’ve been eyeing them...and I’d really like them both but I’ve already got drum samples and drum machines coming out my ears. What’s so good about them?

[antic604]

If you’ve got €49 to hand you’d really be better just buying it while it’s on sale. Maybe?

Yeah, I'm considering it indeed. Same for Resonans actually, because if I look at it as "10 months of Netflix sub for free" (Umpf + Resonans combined saving) then it suddenly looks different

Spending money upfront is not really a problem, it's just that I never was 100% convinced I needed it and RtO somehow diminishes the "guilt" of getting it, by spreading it over time

[antic604]

I can't live without my umpfs.

Yeah, please elaborate on your workflow with them.

From earlier threads it looks like there's (almost?) nothing you can't do with Kong/Redrum + effects, so surely it's mostly the workflow?

[PhillipOrdonez]

I can't live without my umpfs.

I’ve been eyeing them...and I’d really like them both but I’ve already got drum samples and drum machines coming out my ears. What’s so good about them?

I don't use the samples that came with them, though they are always welcome. What is so good about them is, like op mentions in the other reply (don't know how to quote two posts in one, soz), is the workflow improvement and ease of use; never have I laid out drum tracks faster and more alive than now with the umpfs and the drum sequencer, with a bunch of effects and modulation routings at my fingertips. The sends are already set up, also the compressor and insert effects, just tweak parameters to taste, route modulation next when needed, and you are done! It looks good, sounds good and gets things done faster.

[MrFigg]

Well I really do like the look of them. I’ll wait until the bundle goes on sale and then pounce.

[antic604]

I don't use the samples that came with them, though they are always welcome. What is so good about them is, like op mentions in the other reply (don't know how to quote two posts in one, soz), is the workflow improvement and ease of use; never have I laid out drum tracks faster and more alive than now with the umpfs and the drum sequencer, with a bunch of effects and modulation routings at my fingertips. The sends are already set up, also the compressor and insert effects, just tweak parameters to taste, route modulation next when needed, and you are done! It looks good, sounds good and gets things done faster.

Thanks! Is there an option to - easily - slice a sample to Umpf slots?

[PhillipOrdonez]

I don't use the samples that came with them, though they are always welcome. What is so good about them is, like op mentions in the other reply (don't know how to quote two posts in one, soz), is the workflow improvement and ease of use; never have I laid out drum tracks faster and more alive than now with the umpfs and the drum sequencer, with a bunch of effects and modulation routings at my fingertips. The sends are already set up, also the compressor and insert effects, just tweak parameters to taste, route modulation next when needed, and you are done! It looks good, sounds good and gets things done faster.

Thanks! Is there an option to - easily - slice a sample to Umpf slots?

A long sample like a loop? If it isn't Rex already, make it one and just load the slices onto the umpf? I don't generally use loops though, so perhaps there is another way I don't know of?

[antic604]

A long sample like a loop? If it isn't Rex already, make it one and just load the slices onto the umpf? I don't generally use loops though, so perhaps there is another way I don't know of?

I was thinking more about a sequence, like a bass line, melodic riff, even some chord progression; that I made myself using other instruments, but would like to play through Umpf for easier creative mangling

But indeed - I can just bounce it to audio, chop it up and drag & drop to Umpf's slots.

[PhillipOrdonez]

A long sample like a loop? If it isn't Rex already, make it one and just load the slices onto the umpf? I don't generally use loops though, so perhaps there is another way I don't know of?

I was thinking more about a sequence, like a bass line, melodic riff, even some chord progression; that I made myself using other instruments, but would like to play through Umpf for easier creative mangling

But indeed - I can just bounce it to audio, chop it up and drag & drop to Umpf's slots.

There you have it.

[Reasonable man]

I still only use it for drums. I have noticed that i have a slight OCD problem in that i will only play/programme drums in General midi..so the closed hihats have to be on f*1 or i wont use em!. Unfortuantley this involves having two umpfs and two drum sequencers and a line mixer in a combi. I've modified Poorbear's kong drumsequencer combl to do this so it also involves having a thor in the combi as well (to use its curve1 out setting) as a way to switch both drum sequencers patterns in sync (which is not possible otherwise).
I still slpit the seperate drums into seperate mix channels which unfortuantley breaks the connection to the chop,reverb, delay ..compressors etc.
But here's the handy thing ... the send effects (reverb,chop etc) in umpf still come out the main combi audio channel so i keep this channel and use it to blend the chops delays , compression back in with the other drum channels (works really well).
If Umpf had a transient shaper built in i dont think id bother using seperate mix channels.
When using seperate samples the built in lfo's in Umpf are a powerfull . Aint possible to modulate this kind of way in kong/redrum/dr octorex.
Havn't use it as a synth sample holder yet and hook it up to for eg the Psq but hopefully i get around to that soon!

[groggy1]

You asked how we use umpf:

I don’t use the samples on it, but rather use my own sample libraries.

I also don’t use its effects - I like to use external effects.

There’s really only one reason I like it better than Kong: in Kong, when you drag a new sample to a pad using drag and drop, it resets all the parameters for that pad (eg the velocity sensitivity param is reset to default). Thus, in Kong, I always had to go and tweak a few Params after drag and drop

But in umpf, drag and drop doesn’t reset all Params, it just replaced a sample


I’m not sure it’s worth the money for me just for that, but it did speed up my workflow tremendously

[friday]

There is a "hold" before the "decay" nice to shape kicks for electronic music.

[cognitive]

I don't use Umpf for processing external audio, I use it as a nice self-contained drum module.

What with Kong, Redrum and other options, do I NEED Umpf Club Drums? Probably not, but it certainly sounds great and with the Drum Sequencer mated to it, there is a quick workflow to getting danceable stuff going with enough flexibility to use them with minimal or no external processing for finished tracks.